JamesBigglesworth

Sorry, yes, zip tie for the US audience. Bag of 30 from Ace Hardware cost me 99 cents. So, yeah, reasonably cheap.

I don't really put them on for security, as such. I put them on (on the very rare occasions I check a bag (genuinely surprised no one has made jokes about that to the OP yet)) simply to hold the zip clasps shut. Bags being moved and throw around can cause the zips to separate and once they start they just keep going. I've had it happen once and seen it a couple of times with other people. Zip ties take care of that and provide a small modicum of security to discourage the honest people from random temptation. Besides, if a zip *toggle* breaks you can also often thread a cable tie through what's left of the zip body to use as a temp toggle.

LoganTSO

There are rare occasions a passenger does get paged to at least return to the counter so we can open a gun case for an inspection (or because they don't have enough locks on said case for it to be considered secure, i.e. even with lock it can be pried open and weapon removed by hand, usually it's with cheap Wal-Mart/Cabela's/Dick's Sporting Goods cases).

Or because it's bulit-in lock and combo and prying it open would essentially destroy the locking mechanism and possibly part of the suitcase it, so that becomes second to last resort after other methods have failed (such as cracking the combo or using the old luggage keys provided in the early days of TSA [pre-TSA locks] that we have lying around).

But if isn't, out comes the "master key" (aka bolt-cutters) and the passenger isn't paged.

:D!

Locking a bag stops it from being opened accidentally, and deters casual theft as unlocked bags are easier targets. Of course, it doesn't stop someone who really wants to get into the bag but generally nobody really wants to get into my bags.

I've had stuff stolen from a checked bag when it wasn't locked, but never when it has been locked.